Illinois Governor Decides to Close Tamms, Other Prisons in August

Memos distributed to state employees Tuesday say Gov. Pat Quinn has made a “final decision” to close prisons in Dwight and Tamms, a youth facility in Murphysboro and inmate transition centers in Carbondale and Decatur. The one-page letter distributed to workers at the Illinois Department of Corrections and the Department of Juvenile Justice say the facilities will be shuttered by Aug. 31. Speaking Tuesday night, Dwight Mayor Bill Wilkey said the closures appear to target downstate facilities. “As you can see, there’s no Chicago facilities that are in that (announcement),” Wilkey said. “This is the second year in a row (Quinn) has come out and chopped up Southern Illinois facilities while leaving Chicago facilities alone.”